Washington (CNN) - The man who is expected to be the next House majority leader says that ensuring that no one faces a tax increase will help the private sector take the lead in creating jobs.

Current House Minority Whip Eric Cantor made his comments moments after the release of October's jobs report.
"On Tuesday, Americans spoke decisively about their priorities, concerns and the role government should play in their lives. It's time to produce results, and job number one is getting people back to work. We must get the 'for hire' signs out of government windows and into the windows of small businesses. To do that, we need to end the uncertainty that continues to hang over the private sector, and that starts with ensuring that no one faces a tax increase in this economy," says Cantor, a Republican from Virginia who is expected to become the next House majority leader.

The Labor Department reported Friday that the nation gained 151,000 jobs last month, with the unemployment rate holding steady at 9.6 percent, the Labor Department says. The report indicates that the private sector grew by 159,000 jobs.

"I am encouraged that the White House now seems to acknowledge that raising taxes in this environment will only make things more difficult for struggling small business people, families, and investors. In the spirit of working together and listening to the people, I hope that when Congress returns in 10 days we will pass legislation that ensures that no one faces a tax increase," added Cantor.

According to CNN national exit polls, 39 percent of Americans say the tax cuts, implemented by President George W. Bush early in his administration, should be continued for all Americans, with 37 percent saying the cuts should be continued for families making under $250,000, and 15 percent saying the tax cuts should not be extended. The cuts are currently scheduled to sunset at the end of this year.

soundoff(33 Responses)

Squiggs

The tasx cuts that have been in place for 10 years have nothing to do with a one month jobs report that created 151,000 jobs. Cantor is an idiot and he hopes that the rest of us are more idiotic than he is. Maybe Obama's policies are starting to bear fruit. That partisan numbskull Cantor couldn't possibly believe that. Oh by the way Cantor what about the deficit you and your lying republicans ran on balancing.

November 5, 2010 09:25 am at 9:25 am |

ken

8 milliom jobs were lost during the Bush tax cuts, the tax cuts did create jobs, but they were in China and India.

Hey the American peoe have spoken they want tax cut for every one that wll spiral our budget dept even worst. People big corporations are not hiring for crying out loud they are using robot and computer systems to replace workers. You stupid people want to give them tax money for them to keep packing it the sideline. Pham took the bailout money straight to the people on mainstreet and small business because small business does not have the luxury of robust and computer systems so they have no choice to hire people. Now the people have voted to put big the greedy corporations back in power and bring us back when the insurance companies raised premium to 60 and 70 percent while the country was going through the worst economy ever and further more oil companies were charging 4 to 5 dollars a gallons when the people needed their help the most, lying about oil shortages but the oil spill disaster in the gulf shows that they were all a bunch of lyers, while they hauled in billions in profits. So you think that big business give a hoot about you? Well think again. They are about money and will sell their souls to the hihgest bidder.

November 5, 2010 09:53 am at 9:53 am |

TiredofthheRhetoricinDC

You cant be serious..the tax cuts have been in existence DURING the recession. Please we need the 45% that brought the republicans to control the house to recognize this foolery being exhibited. They spin and try to take credit for everything!

8yrs of GW Bush permanent TAX CUTs to the rich & Wall Streets gave Americans a recession...extending Bush Tax cuts will add trillions of dollars to our debt and will create NO JOBS!

Big corporations and private companies are sitting on billions of dollars and they are NOT hiring...but expanding their businesses in China & India...."we the people" Americans are giving these companies more tax cuts to ship American JOBS OVERSEAS!!!

NOT A SINGLE JOB IS BEING CREATED IN AMERICA WITH OUR TAX CUTS TO THE RICH AND BIG CORPORATIONS!

GET REAL AMERICA...DONT BE FOOLED BY THE GOP-TEA PARTY!!!!

November 5, 2010 10:00 am at 10:00 am |

rs

And so in less than three days, Republicans are signalling that they intend to continue to build the national nebt by adding $780 billion to it so that they can give more "wealthy welfare" to America's super-rich.
First, you can't bring down the national debt in any way by adding nearly a $ trillion to it.
Second, we had 8 years of this ruse under Bush- At MOST flooding the rich with undeserved tax refunds created no more than 3 million jobs- and most of those vanished before Obama took office.
Third, this would appear to be a quid pro quo for all of the monies Karl Rove amassed for the purchase of the election through specious adds.

Couldn't the Republicans have waited until at least January before beginning to cripple America again?

November 5, 2010 10:01 am at 10:01 am |

once upon a horse

I agree..I mean just look at all the jobs those Bush tax cuts have created since they were started ten years ago. Who cares if they add over 7 billion dollars to the deficit. It's all about keeping the upper 2% happy..it's really sad that many Americans just can't see or are willing to accept this. Why isn't the Tea Party complaining about THIS??

November 5, 2010 10:02 am at 10:02 am |

PalmReader

Cantor needs to explain what program he is going to cut to compensate for the 700B tax cut for the top 2% income earners. The GOPers ran on balancing the budget; adding 700B to the budget in tax cuts means something else is going to have to be cut. So, where are the 700B cuts going to come from Cantor? Social Security? Medicare? Defense? Education?

November 5, 2010 10:06 am at 10:06 am |

keepstufingthis

Right now, the private sector is still trying to assess what Obozo and the libs did to us over the past two years, we are scared to hire anyone, scared to buy anything. This incompetent, Kenyan marxist and his union toady supporters have killed so many jobs in this country and are threatening more.

November 5, 2010 10:07 am at 10:07 am |

Arun

Why are people so stupid in listing to the crap that comes out of the Republican's mouths. If anyone knows, rich people really don't buy things because they already have all the toys they want or need. What they do is take the money offshore so they don't have to pay taxes on the money!! I'm not rich and I'm not poor. I make less than $200 K a year and if the cuts would be extended I wouldn't go out and buy stuff, I would either put it into my 401K or deposit in the bank because I like may rich people really don't need to spend the money. If I would do this, how do you think someone making more than $200 K would spend their tax relief money. They would do the same thing as me but they wouldn't put it into a 401K because they already have maxed that out!!

November 5, 2010 10:10 am at 10:10 am |

Chessnutz of Liverpool NY

Too Late Health care has already raised my property taxes 113% here in upstate NY. Thanks to federal government's unfunded mandates, that the state passed down to my county who put it on my property taxes.

November 5, 2010 10:12 am at 10:12 am |

Cosmo

Unless I missed the message of the "election earthquake", the people of this country want jobs and they want a future and that means reducing the deficit. So Mr. Cantor, where are you going to cut 700 billion in spending to cover the loss of tax revenue, especially since your colleague who will chair the House defense committee already said that he is going to push for increased defense spending. Same old GOP. Don't get too settled, you newbie members, because you will be gone after the next election.

November 5, 2010 10:14 am at 10:14 am |

Susan from Seattle

I guess "fiscal conservative" and "Republican" do not go hand in hand. Keeping the tax cuts, any of them, adds to the deficit. Even Reagan's economic advisor says so and that the Republican mantra of "no taxes" hurts the US. If you want to keep the tax cuts for those making less than $250k out of concern for the majority of Americans, that could be argued. But extending the tax cuts for the top 2% (and I'm in that group) is pure recklessness and fiscally irresponsible. Stop PRETENDING you care about our deficit when you are pushing this tax cut through.

November 5, 2010 10:21 am at 10:21 am |

Chris

The tax breaks have been in place now for ten years. They did nothing to stop the massive lay offs when the economy crashed, and nothing to bring back jobs when the recession ended months ago. But now we're expected to believe that last month's job report is the direct result of tax cuts from ten years ago? Talk about a delayed reaction!

November 5, 2010 10:24 am at 10:24 am |

Emerson

Cantor, don't you understand your own party's position? Increasing the deficit is "job killing". So why do you advocate being a "Job-killer" by continuing the tax breask for the rich which will result in 700 billion dollars less revenue. Do you know that Herbert Hoover didi the same thing and it deepened the Great Depression? Are you willfully trying to destroy this country's recovery?

November 5, 2010 10:27 am at 10:27 am |

Sgt Joe

Oh sure, let's come out and take credit for something tax credits had nothing to do with. Tax credits have been in place all the while the economy was sliding....are you freakin' kidding me? The GOP's ego is beyond the punched out ozone layer. I suppose they will take credit for jobs growth all on their own now, even though we all know it's the Obama Admin. that has helped get us there. And, we'll hear, "it's all about holiday hiring; it'll go away after that....blah, blah, blah." The GOP has one agenda....make Obama fail. A bunch of pompous, selfish money grubbers.

November 5, 2010 10:29 am at 10:29 am |

jc

Wait, I'm getting mixed signals here. I thought they were voted based on CUTTING the deficit. Simple question is, isnt this going to increase the deficit?

November 5, 2010 10:30 am at 10:30 am |

Dutch/Bad Newz, VA

Tax cuts have nothing to do with it. Small businesses can hire, they just don't because of greed. When the Great Recession fell upon us, small businesses layed off many people. Small businesses have been able to stay afloat with less employees. They have no intentions on hiring when they can do the job with less people.

November 5, 2010 10:30 am at 10:30 am |

John

You Republican say you going too listen to the American people,well the American people don't want the tax cut extended for everyone,people that make 250,000k or more the the tax cut should end. And you better not cut Social Security and Medicare Either. Like you Republican say it your second chance so don't blow it, and do want the American people really want. get the economy going and get American JOBS.

November 5, 2010 10:35 am at 10:35 am |

diridi

I hate this idiot, that knows nothing....I think, we Americans need to pass Senate and Congress Term limits.....we need to pass Senate and Congress Term limits...so that this lobby vanishes....America speak up, if you have guts....you are robbed...for these another Obama need to be born????? Write to your congress man, and senator...ok, good luck......

November 5, 2010 10:35 am at 10:35 am |

S.B. Stein E.B. NJ

The tax cuts arguement doesn't hold water. If a business is doing well, it will continue to do well; taxes aren't that big of a concern unless they never pay them. If someone has the idea and plan for a new business, then they will go forward with it. The bigger question than taxes is getting the new business credit to get going. It isn't being released fast enough by banks.